]]>Brian Fritz catches up with Todd Martin of the Pro Wrestling Torch (www.PWTorch.com) as they discuss what could be next for CM Punk including wrestling, AJ Styles becoming WWE Champion, babyfaces and heels in today’s WWE, John Cena going for Ric Flair’s record and the finals of the Cruiserweight Classic.

Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more!

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2016/10/17/cm-punk-aj-styles-wwe-talk-todd-martin/feed/0WWE Roundup with Michael Wisemanhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2016/06/29/wwe-roundup-michael-wiseman/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2016/06/29/wwe-roundup-michael-wiseman/#respondWed, 29 Jun 2016 16:12:07 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=22567Brian Fritz and Michael Wiseman talk about the WWE Raw from Monday night, the upcoming Battleground event, the underrated Rusev, call-ups before the draft, the WWE house show and NXT tapings that Brian went to over the weekend and CM Punk’s recent comments about the wrestling business. Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes ...

]]>Brian Fritz and Michael Wiseman talk about the WWE Raw from Monday night, the upcoming Battleground event, the underrated Rusev, call-ups before the draft, the WWE house show and NXT tapings that Brian went to over the weekend and CM Punk’s recent comments about the wrestling business.

Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more!

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2016/06/29/wwe-roundup-michael-wiseman/feed/0Court Bauer on WaleMania, WrestleMania 32 Build and Pitching CM Punk to Book ROHhttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2016/03/23/court-bauer-walemania-wrestlemania-32-build-pitching-cm-punk-book-roh/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2016/03/23/court-bauer-walemania-wrestlemania-32-build-pitching-cm-punk-book-roh/#respondWed, 23 Mar 2016 17:17:43 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=22472Brian Fritz talks with Court Bauer about WaleMania 2 coming to Dallas, next year’s event in Orlando where MLW used to run regularly, wow moments in wrestling, Shane McMahon’s return to WWE for WrestleMania 32, working with Shane while on the WWE creative team, Vince McMahon’s many roles, Roman Reigns tough spot and what former ...

]]>Brian Fritz talks with Court Bauer about WaleMania 2 coming to Dallas, next year’s event in Orlando where MLW used to run regularly, wow moments in wrestling, Shane McMahon’s return to WWE for WrestleMania 32, working with Shane while on the WWE creative team, Vince McMahon’s many roles, Roman Reigns tough spot and what former WWE champion he pitched to become the booker for Ring of Honor.

Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more!

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2016/03/23/court-bauer-walemania-wrestlemania-32-build-pitching-cm-punk-book-roh/feed/0Wrestling Fix: WWE wants Alberto Del Rio back, Seth Rollins on SportsCenter, Paul Heyman on a CM Punk-WWE reunion and morehttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/10/14/wrestling-fix-wwe-wants-alberto-del-rio-back-seth-rollins-on-sportscenter-paul-heyman-on-a-cm-punk-wwe-reunion-and-more/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/10/14/wrestling-fix-wwe-wants-alberto-del-rio-back-seth-rollins-on-sportscenter-paul-heyman-on-a-cm-punk-wwe-reunion-and-more/#respondWed, 14 Oct 2015 13:34:45 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=22175Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! WWE Rumors! Sounds like there’s fire to the smoke of Alberto Del Rio possibly returning to WWE. [Cageside Seats] As for the former Sin Cara’s departure ...

As for the former Sin Cara’s departure from AAA in Mexico, Myzteziz (as he is known now; also, the original Mistico) reportedly bolted the promotion because of Del Rio. [Wrestling Observer]

Seth Rollins was heeling hard on SportsCenter with Jonathan Coachman. WWE will be getting a weekly top five on the show.

WWE Breaking Ground premieres on the WWE Network October 26.

What’s Paul Heyman have to say about a CM Punk-WWE return: “As of right now, ain’t no way he’s ever going back. I don’t know if I can make that same statement in the future. I know his mindset is there’s absolutely no way. As for his mindset where he is in his journey, I think every moment he takes a breath is one moment closer to his debut. I think the only thing that he sees in his mind right now, 24/7 he is envisioning the moment they lock that Octagon and the referee says ‘fight’.” [Fox Sports]

This is an actual headline on WWE.com: “Defying the Impossible: How Kalisto became WWE’s next great luchador.” It’s not by being treated as a jobber on Raw.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/10/14/wrestling-fix-wwe-wants-alberto-del-rio-back-seth-rollins-on-sportscenter-paul-heyman-on-a-cm-punk-wwe-reunion-and-more/feed/0Wrestling Fix: Daniel Bryan seeking a third doctor’s opinion, WrestleMania tickets go on sale soon, Raw recaps and morehttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/10/06/wrestling-fix-daniel-bryan-seeking-a-third-doctors-opinion-wrestlemania-tickets-go-on-sale-soon-raw-recaps-and-more/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/10/06/wrestling-fix-daniel-bryan-seeking-a-third-doctors-opinion-wrestlemania-tickets-go-on-sale-soon-raw-recaps-and-more/#respondTue, 06 Oct 2015 13:49:54 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=22058Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! WWE WWE’s doctor won’t clear Daniel Bryan to wrestle after the Goat Faced Killah suffered a concussion. However, Bryan’s doctor has cleared him. He’s headed for ...

]]>Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more!

WWEWWE’s doctor won’t clear Daniel Bryan to wrestle after the Goat Faced Killah suffered a concussion. However, Bryan’s doctor has cleared him. He’s headed for a third opinion that will determine his WWE in-ring fate. If it doesn’t work out in Bryan’s favor, he’d go back to the indies and he wants to do a hair vs. mask match in Mexico. He also discussed more about his future plans, including possibly becoming a commentator. [IGN]

Speaking of Punk, he’s been sidelined with a shoulder injury. His trainer, Duke Rufus, also believes Punk is six to 10 months away from being ready to fight with the best opportunity at UFC 200 on July 9, 2016. [Wrestling Observer]

TNAEthan Carter III has acquired an injunction against Matt Hardy that keeps the new heavyweight champion off TNA TV.

Remember that major announcement Dixie Carter was going to make? She’s headed to India. [Wrestling Observer]

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/10/06/wrestling-fix-daniel-bryan-seeking-a-third-doctors-opinion-wrestlemania-tickets-go-on-sale-soon-raw-recaps-and-more/feed/0Wrestling Fix: WWE Night of Champions recaps, Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar in Hell in a Cell, Sting injured and morehttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/09/21/wrestling-fix-wwe-night-of-champions-recaps-undertaker-vs-brock-lesnar-in-hell-in-a-cell-and-more-links/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/09/21/wrestling-fix-wwe-night-of-champions-recaps-undertaker-vs-brock-lesnar-in-hell-in-a-cell-and-more-links/#respondMon, 21 Sep 2015 12:25:02 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=21859Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! WWE WWE Night of Champions is in the books. The Between the Ropes crew of Brian Fritz, Michael Wiseman and myself break down the card and ...

]]>Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more!

WWE WWE Night of Champions is in the books. The Between the Ropes crew of Brian Fritz, Michael Wiseman and myself break down the card and talk about where WWE goes from here, including the Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar rubber match at/inside Hell in a Cell.

As we discussed on last night’s post-game show, Sting may have been legitimately injured in his match with Seth Rollins. That seems to be the case, according to the Wrestling Observer, which reported: “The early reports we have is that the injury was significant,” and Dave Meltzer says it’s believed to be an injury to his neck. [Wrestling Observer]

We’re headed to hell with Brock Lesnar, culminating in Hell in a Cell with the Undertaker. He’ll also be on the go-home show of the Stone Cold Podcast.

On to Night of Champions results … Dolph Ziggler gets an assist from Summer Rae in the win, and he may be stealing her heart.

Charlotte is the new Divas Champion, and she celebrated with her father, the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/09/21/wrestling-fix-wwe-night-of-champions-recaps-undertaker-vs-brock-lesnar-in-hell-in-a-cell-and-more-links/feed/0Wrestling Fix: Jon Stewart hosting SummerSlam, SportsCenter live, Brock Lesnar on ESPN and more linkshttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/08/18/wrestling-fix-jon-stewart-hosting-summerslam-sportscenter-live-brock-lesnar-on-espn-and-more-links/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/08/18/wrestling-fix-jon-stewart-hosting-summerslam-sportscenter-live-brock-lesnar-on-espn-and-more-links/#respondTue, 18 Aug 2015 12:22:41 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=21459Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! Wrestling fans everywhere will thank you. WWE Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart will host Sunday’s four-hour SummerSlam. Will Stewart cost his nemesis, Seth Rollins, the ...

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/08/18/wrestling-fix-jon-stewart-hosting-summerslam-sportscenter-live-brock-lesnar-on-espn-and-more-links/feed/0Wrestling Fix: WWE severing ties with Hulk Hogan? Daniel Bryan’s doctor clears him but WWE’s have not and more linkshttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/24/wrestling-fix-wwe-severing-ties-with-hulk-hogan-daniel-bryans-doctor-clears-him-but-wwes-have-not-and-more-links/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/24/wrestling-fix-wwe-severing-ties-with-hulk-hogan-daniel-bryans-doctor-clears-him-but-wwes-have-not-and-more-links/#respondFri, 24 Jul 2015 12:23:02 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=20757Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! Wrestling fans everywhere will thank you. The Big Story: WWE and Hulk Hogan may be splitting up. The Wrestling Observer reports that all references to Hogan ...

]]>Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! Wrestling fans everywhere will thank you.

The Big Story: WWE and Hulk Hogan may be splitting up. The Wrestling Observer reports that all references to Hogan have been scrubbed from WWE.com, his merchandise has been pulled from WWE Shop and he’s no longer listed as a Tough Enough judge. Hogan’s profiles on the website are locked down.

WWE web site told a few hours ago to remove all references to him. That's all I know so far.

The question is why? It’s unclear. Cageside Seats strongly stresses this is a rumor but reports that a media outlet is on the verge of releasing audio “of Hogan making comments that are racist in nature.”

Hogan posted this cryptic tweet early this morning.

In the storm I release control,God and his Universe will sail me where he wants me to be,one love. HH

And this extends beyond Hogan: The Observer says Curtis Axel has been told his Axelmania gimmick is dead.

WWE
Daniel Bryan says his doctor in Arizona has cleared him but WWE doctors have not. He also teases going elsewhere to ply his craft if WWE won’t let him back in the ring. But he hopes to return by the Royal Rumble. [Cageside Seats 1 and Cageside Seats 2]

Bryan told Between the Ropes’ Brian Fritz that he believes he’s won over Vince McMahon to a degree, but he also doesn’t believe the boss seems him as a main eventer. [Sporting News]

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/24/wrestling-fix-wwe-severing-ties-with-hulk-hogan-daniel-bryans-doctor-clears-him-but-wwes-have-not-and-more-links/feed/0Was Vince McMahon Ever In Touch With His Audience?http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/13/was-vince-mcmahon-ever-in-touch-with-his-audience/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/13/was-vince-mcmahon-ever-in-touch-with-his-audience/#respondMon, 13 Jul 2015 11:53:45 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=20300WWE has been declining for sometime now. A good portion of this downward spiral should be blamed on how out-of-touch Vince McMahon has allowed himself to become with today’s youth and their pop-culture/social interests. In the past, having an ear to the ground has helped WWE stay current and produce entertainment that seemed to speak ...

]]>WWE has been declining for sometime now. A good portion of this downward spiral should be blamed on how out-of-touch Vince McMahon has allowed himself to become with today’s youth and their pop-culture/social interests. In the past, having an ear to the ground has helped WWE stay current and produce entertainment that seemed to speak convincingly to its loyal fan base.

Diehard fans feel that’s changed in the WWE, which seems to be more determined than ever to disregard and ignore its supporters and what they care about. Even If you look back, in McMahon’s golden days he’s actually never been in touch with his fan base. Even during the times there was good booking, he still pulled the weirdest crap.

He produced poor storylines, having great younger talents job to old timers past their prime while giving fans bizarre moments like Mae Young giving birth to a hand. Why did we see that? Because the chairman thought it was funny.

Possibly his sickest idea was Triple H dressed as Kane having sex with a fresh corpse in a casket. Who could ever forget the “Vince McMahon Kiss My Ass Club” where he humiliated legends? I am amazed that William Regal, Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, Shane McMahon, and Mick Foley even agreed to do this.

What sent fans like myself over the edge was the constant showcasing of John Cena. When Cena debuted his free-styling gimmick, the crowd still stuck on the perceptions of the Attitude Era got behind him. If you go back to Wrestlemania 20, in front of one of the most critical and hardcore crowds in New York City, you could see that the reaction to Cena was absolutely off the charts.

A year later, he won the WWE Championship. The crowd in Los Angeles was a lot less enthusiastic and there was a rift between the fans. A lot of them still cheered for the new champ because he was still entertaining and likeable. But the smarter fans began to see McMahon pushing him as the next Hulk Hogan.

Almost 10 years later, the fans perception of the 15-time World Champion has ranged from favoritism to rejection. McMahon has stayed determined that he should be the number one guy based on his persona as well as the financial status throughout his run.

There’s only one other character who reached Cena’s level of financial success for the company: CM Punk. Punk’s reality based promo in June of 2011 created mainstream attention and boosted the product perception. They told a story that mirrored a realistic view of not only how a large portion of the fan base feels about the WWE, but how the talent perceives their own employer.

This has led WWE down a long and winding path that they don’t understand how to navigate. Punk’s success created a rift between WWE and a growing proportion of their audience.

Vince McMahon has lost sight of how to entertain the fans. After all these years, his perception of the performer is still determining whether a wrestler is a face or a heel instead of focusing on telling a great story about that character. This thirty-year old mindset will continue to drive a strong disconnect between a growing proportion of the fan base and the WWE product.

Will Vince McMahon ever get in touch with today’s era of Wrestling? Let me know what you think of the article in the comment section below. Also, check out all of our content here on BTR as we continue working hard to build the Between The Ropes brand.

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/13/was-vince-mcmahon-ever-in-touch-with-his-audience/feed/0Wrestling Fix: Sami Zayn doesn’t have a timetable to return, Arrow actor teases working with WWE and more linkshttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/12/wrestling-fix-sami-zayn-doesnt-have-a-timetable-to-return-arrow-actor-teases-working-with-wwe-and-more-links/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/12/wrestling-fix-sami-zayn-doesnt-have-a-timetable-to-return-arrow-actor-teases-working-with-wwe-and-more-links/#respondSun, 12 Jul 2015 16:11:06 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=20244Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! Wrestling fans everywhere will thank you. WWE Arrow‘s Stephen Amell teases working with WWE in the future, although his feud with Stardust is up in the ...

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/12/wrestling-fix-sami-zayn-doesnt-have-a-timetable-to-return-arrow-actor-teases-working-with-wwe-and-more-links/feed/0Wrestling Fix: Sasha Banks and Charlotte rumored for Raw, CM Punk UFC debut, Paige flames Eva Marie and more linkshttp://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/11/wrestling-fix-sasha-banks-and-charlotte-rumored-for-raw-cm-punk-ufc-debut-paige-flames-eva-marie-and-more-links/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/11/wrestling-fix-sasha-banks-and-charlotte-rumored-for-raw-cm-punk-ufc-debut-paige-flames-eva-marie-and-more-links/#respondSat, 11 Jul 2015 13:20:35 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=20216Enjoy what we do? Support Between the Ropes on Patreon! Your generous donation will help keep our lights on, and make it possible for us to do even more! Wrestling fans everywhere will thank you. WWE Sasha Banks and Charlotte are scheduled for Monday Night’s Raw. Will the rumors finally be true? [Wrestling Inc] Brie ...

]]>http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/11/wrestling-fix-sasha-banks-and-charlotte-rumored-for-raw-cm-punk-ufc-debut-paige-flames-eva-marie-and-more-links/feed/02K Announces Stone Cold Steve Austin for Cover of WWE 2K16http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/06/2k-announces-stone-cold-steve-austin-for-cover-of-wwe-2k16/
http://www.betweentheropes.com/2015/07/06/2k-announces-stone-cold-steve-austin-for-cover-of-wwe-2k16/#respondMon, 06 Jul 2015 14:46:14 +0000http://www.betweentheropes.com/?p=20003Are you a fan of the annual WWE 2K video game series? If so, today’s announcement should bring a tear to your eye: Stone Cold Steve Austin is the 2K17 cover athlete. Austin told WWE.com that it caught him completely off guard. “I figure I’d been gone for such a long time… To get that ...

]]>Are you a fan of the annual WWE 2K video game series? If so, today’s announcement should bring a tear to your eye: Stone Cold Steve Austin is the 2K17 cover athlete.

Austin told WWE.com that it caught him completely off guard. “I figure I’d been gone for such a long time… To get that phone call and be on the cover of what is going to be the biggest, baddest video game that there’s ever been, with the roster and all the technology, and to be out of the ring for so many years meant a whole lot to me.”

While this is the first time that Austin has been featured as the main cover superstar on a WWE game in many years, it hasn’t been that long since Austin has made an appearance on a special variant cover. Back in 2012 when THQ was hyping up its Attitude-Era mode for WWE ’13 and had CM Punk as the cover athlete, the company released a special edition of the game that featured Austin’s trademark skull and came bundled with a copy of matches from his DVD collection.

This year’s cover ties in with a rumored “Stone Cold” Steve Austin story mode that will cover Austin’s biggest matches and feuds from his career, similar to the aforementioned Attitude-Era mode from WWE ’13.

Since taking over the franchise in 2013, 2K games has featured The Rock, John Cena, and now Stone Cold Steve Austin. This breaks tradition with what THQ used to do by featuring only modern superstars (back in the days of Smackdown vs RAW, the company featured an entire lineup of guys). This also breaks another tradition – announcing the cover on RAW. In years past, WWE and 2K have hosted a special segment on RAW that showcased the cover in a dramatic fashion, usually loosely tied to whatever story line that superstar was currently involved with.

WWE 2K16 is currently set to be released for all major systems (Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, and PS3) on October 27th, 2015. No word yet on a PC or mobile release.